Glimpses

2011

Chris Cooper EMBA has announced that his electronic/pop band, Loquat, has signed with a major label that is distributed by Sony. He and the four other band members plan on doing more benefit shows. Their album came out on iTunes, and they have a video on YouTube.

[1] Mark Curtis EdD ’11, a news correspondent for WLNE in Providence, Rhode Island, reported on both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions this summer. Curtis is a 30-year radio and TV professional, who worked at the Bay Area’s KTVU from 1993 to January 2008. Curtis has covered presidential campaigns and traveled the country with candidates as a blogger and freelance political analyst. His book “Age of Obama: A Reporter’s Journey with Clinton, McCain and Obama in the Making of the President 2008” was released during inaugural week 2009 by Nimble Books,  Inc.

[2] Mikey Lawler made the fateful decision at age 19 to try out for a beach soccer team in Santa Cruz, which led to tournament play around the U.S., the chance to play for the U.S. Beach Soccer Team in Rio Quente, Brazil, and an offer to play in Switzerland for three months in the summer. His success led to an offer from another Swiss team for the 2012 season; he now lives in Switzerland for three months out of the year. At home in the Bay Area, Mikey works as a personal trainer at Living Lean in Orinda and coaches soccer at De La Salle High School. He says his time in Switzerland has taught him about sports, life, culture, communications, relationships, himself and what he really wants and needs. He hopes beach soccer will take off like beach volleyball has and be included in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Check out Mikey’s game-winning bicycle kick goal in the last minute of a game: youtube.com/watch?v=S_ ecZbiLhGI

2010

[3] Patrick Young ’09 and Alexis Standfield are happy to announce that they are engaged to be married. Patrick is employed as an IT administrator in Pleasanton, and Alexis is a Ph.D. student in physical therapy at Oakland’s Samuel Merritt University.

2008

[4] Maritza (Flores) EMBA and Paul Haller were married on May 7, 2011, in Pleasanton. Hilary Calhoun EE ’06, EMBA was a bridesmaid, and fellow Gael Kathleen Cook EMBA also joined the couple on their special day.

2007

[5] Stephanie (Fierro) Eastwood EE is working as a litigation paralegal for a large firm in Sacramento. Stephanie and her husband have two boys (pictured), ages 3 and 1.

[6] Molliee Martin and Martin Marechal ’06 are engaged and plan to marry on April 27, 2013, in San Francisco. They currently live in Los Angeles with their Pomeranian, Gaston.

[7] JP Musgrove and his wife, Rebecca, welcomed a daughter, Julia Grace, on April 23. 2006

Stefani Carver and fiancé Levi Finch (an Oregon alum) were engaged on July 2011 and married September 22, 2012, in Pebble Beach.

Anthony Spivey EE is working for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area as an enrollment and match specialist pairing Bay Area youth with positive adult role models in one-to-one mentoring relationships. His colleague, fellow Gael Nicole Olson EE ’08 (Human and Community Services), is employed as a match support specialist supporting and guiding mentors during their match relationships.

2005

[8] Angelina (Elliott) Burke graduated from UC Davis School of Medicine on May 19. She was a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society and received the Crystie Halsted Award for Excellence in Pediatrics and is currently a pediatric resident at Kaiser Oakland.

[9] Andrew ’05, MBA ’09 and Victoria (Hernandez) Hansen met inmarketing class their junior year and have been inseparable ever since. They were married in the SMC Chapel last year and celebrated their first anniversary on July 30. Andrew, who runs the finance team at a venture capital firm, and Victoria, an apparel buyer for Sears, are enjoying the city life in their San Francisco home along with their dog Goose.

[10] Kehli Louise Kankelborg, of Butte, Mont., is engaged to Randy William Hazlett of Ramsay, Mont. Kehli is pursuing a master’s degree in technical communication at Montana Tech in Butte, where she works as an outreach program coordinator. Randy is a civil engineering graduate of Montana Tech and is employed at Pioneer Technical. A September wedding is planned.

[11] Sean O’Brien was named one of Sacramento’s 40 Under 40 by the Sacramento Business Journal for his work in the community.

[12] Stephanie Sandbergen MS received word this month from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences that she has completed all the requirements to finally sit for the first of two marriage and family therapist exams. She vacationed in Alaska in July 2011

2001

Beth (Carrillo) Burnell is a social worker for the Orange County Social Services Agency. She was married in 2007 to Eric Burnell and has three children, Tyler, 4, Drew, 2, and Leigha, who was born on Jan. 23.

[17] Kristen (Fry) Wallace ECR ’03, ME ’08 and her husband, Charles, are proud to announce the arrival of Benjamin’s little brother, Jackson Wayne, on Aug. 23.

1999

Cathy Blyther, Joe Manifesto and Brandon Nelson attended the SMC Wine Festival in August.

[18] Joe R. Manifesto married Rachel Nethercott on Feb. 4 at Saint Mary’s College Chapel. Both attended Our Lady of Grace (K–8) and Bishop O’Dowd High School. Rachel graduated from San Diego State University in 2005 with a B.A. in communications and currently works as a hairstylist, while Joe is employed as a deputy sheriff for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Gael members of the wedding party were groomsmen Brandon Nelson and Jon Hacker, as well as Joe’s father, Joe M. Manifesto ’68. Joe and Rachel currently reside in Dublin, Calif.

1998

Kelly McMillin EE , a 23-year veteran of the Salinas Police Department, was appointed chief of police of that city. He rose through the ranks from officer to detective, corporal, sergeant, commander, and then deputy chief. McMillin helped create and directed the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace, providing leadership for Salinas Police Department’s Ceasefire strategy, work for which he was honored by the White House with 11 other leaders at the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.

[19] Michael Spencer and his wife Elizabeth are thrilled to announce the arrival of their third son, Matthew Collins Spencer, who was born on May 23. The family lives in Fresno.

1997

Dave Perry MBA ’01, ECR ’04, ME ’04 is excited to begin his new adventure as principal at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, Fla. Dave recognizes that there are many blessings associated with working at a Catholic school, but the best is having his three kids (Drew, 7, Kaylin, 6, and Charlie, 4) with him at school each day. Dave and Sue (Susan Perry ’03) are hoping to find a few Gaels in South Florida with whom to share their Gael Pride!

1996

[20] Michael Keefe EE ’96, former deputy fire chief of the San Mateo-Foster City Fire Department, was appointed fire chief for those communities. Keefe also served as president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation in addition to serving as a member of the statewide executive board. The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation is a Californiabased nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting burn prevention education and burn survivor assistance.

1993

[21] Damien Fairbairn and his wife, Angelina, welcomed their first child, Lucas Shane Tan Fairbairn, on March 29. They reside in San Carlos, Calif., and are enjoying every minute of parenthood.

1989

[22] Geoff Calla recently worked as an actor opposite Nicole Kidman in the made-for-TV movie “Hemingway & Gellhorn.” The film premiered in May on HBO.

[23] Dr. Lauren Speeth EM BA ’89, the founder of the Elfenworks Foundation, SMC Regent, and frequent campus lecturer, has authored a new book, “Intelligence & Compassion in Action, The 7 Pillars for Social Entrepreneurship.” The purpose of the book is to be used as “a tool to empower the aspiring social entrepreneur, with real guidance as to how, and why, social entrepreneurship